is it just me or has anyone else noticed that nobody in canada has any boating etiquette. Honestly, on my lake (wizard lake) there is a wide half, and a narrow half where the water is alwas good. So all day saturday,the lake was really busy, but there were no boats in the wide half, and so many boats in the narrow part. now that would be ok, IF THEY WERENT POWER TURNING AND TUBING THE WHOLE TIME!! i was angry! anyway, later because the water was so bad, me and my friend were canoeing. so this guy in a seadoo boat pulls up, waves at us, and starts burning donuts right beside my canoe. he did this for about a minute, then, about when we were getting hit with massive waves, he waves again, and drives away. WHAT IS WRONG WITH PPL?????? honestly does stuff like this happen everywhere? cause every lake ive been on its like this. are ppl in the US like his or is it everywhere?

People in Cincinnati are like this for sure. Its so pathetic the kind of people that you see out on the water. I cant believe that they let ANYONE operate a boat or seadoos. I have had times where I have been on the same line literally the entire day (10 in the morning until 5 in the pm) and people will just get in front of you or cut you off like you dont even exist. I have had times where I lose my skier and have to go blowing back full speed because some dumbass in their old P.O.S I/O with the windshield falling off is headed right for him and not even paying attention.

Medicine Lake in Minneapolis has a bunch of tards. One guy one our lake drives a brand new Mobius. It never fails...I'll be riding and he'll come from a bay off to the right of us and will speed up to get out in front of us. Then he'll cruise a little adjacent at an angle to our normal path and send his wake right into me. After he has finished with that he will do a monster power turn and send some rollers down for us too. I have never seen him pull a rider either. Not to mention all the rest of the wallies that will drive in our little secluded bay (normally always glass. Fly in, do a big turn and cruise out. There isn't a clipart expression that can truly show I how feel.

My lake is small and you have to go in a counter clockwise direction but it never fails there is always a few morans zig zagging every which way. Believe it or not tubers dont mess the lake up its the idots who just go out and speed all over the place. a lake as small as the one Im on there is no need to just freakin speed. I feel your pain.

yeah man for sure...the lake we ride most of the time (lake lanier) if full of dumbasses....last sunday we were out and were switching riders like 100 feet from the shore and this idiot in a brand new malibu comes around the point pulling a rider and decides to go in between us and the shore...smart....well anyway the guy riding dropped the rope bc it was going to be really tight so the driver decides to do a circle around our boat doing like 25, runs right over my damn rope and completly thrashes it up...not to mention that it got caught under his boat as he was going around us, tightened as much as it could and caught me in the side as he was moving around the back of our boat and tossed me like a rag doll about 10 ft into the water...i was so pissed off, but at least the guy that was riding gave me 100 dollars for a new rope, its no wonder that every year people die out on the water when you have dumbasses like this pulling people

Yep, Thats a scary story. Almost think that drivers arms would be broken so he couldn't drive a boat anymore. It was great last night when a brand new Supra came to our glass to double tube, just circling around. Once pissed, we went to find another area where they followed us to. Always seems the wrong people get the nice boats. I've only seen this boat tube. Just doesn't seem fair.

It has nothing to do with etiquette and everything to do with brains and boating experience. Some people just don't think about their actions. They are just in their own little world having fun and they think everyone else enjoys watching them.

Have you ever noticed that jet skiers will congregate near a pack of people and do stupid stuff. They never go to the far corner of the lake and pull that crap by themselves.

Last weekend my father was behind the boat he went down and I had to rip a power turn because a boat was heading right for him. I could see the driver and he was looking straight back at the tuber behind his boat not paying any attention to where he was going. I blocked my dad from the boat and he missed us by maybe 10 feet. We were all cussing and shootin birds and ya know what......they waived at us!! They had no idea that we were pissed at all. I'm a pretty laid back dude but I was red faced fighting mad after that. We started to go after them but we would have probly ended up in jail for kickin there teeth in so I backed off and let the idiots go. I wish you had to get a license or at least have some common sense to drive a boat. Just watch you a*s out there because the lakes are full of morons. (sorry for the rant. I had to get that out.)

you live in Canada, what do you expect? aren't yrou lakes frozen most of the year..trade the boat in and snowboard year round. Never understood why people that far north even own boats...the water is cold year round.

Hey David, knowing Wizard I think I would stay away on weekends, a dozen boats on your lake is busy, great lake for butter though when quiet. At Sylvan last summer spent an hour finding butter only to have a seadoo boat come spin donuts in the bay!

They do the same at lake I ride at. The one that really gets me is we are down at the far end of the lake where it is sheltered from the wind so we can ride. You get boats that have towers on them pulling tubers in figure 8's through the only calm water on the lake, you would think they know better, especially when I am pulling someone. I can only take so much before I am yelling, cursing, and fingering the other boats. I'm a pretty big guy so most people end up leaving.

This may be kinda long, but cut and paste it into back into a word document. Make any changes you like and take it to your local lake and see if they will pass it out(you should offer to pay for the copies). Keep in mind, that when I wrote this, it had to be politically correct and fair for all users of the lake.

Our local lake, Standley is doing this starting next weekend. I'm so stoked!! We have a few other guidelines they are also willing to do. Pretty exciting.

In addition, we have contacted each of the major lakes in the area and they are considering it as well. (Sloans, Horsetooth, Carter, Boyd, Chatfield, Cherry Creek, and a couple others.)

Boating Guidelines

Launch Ramp Courtesy Boat ramp congestion can be reduced if everyone practices courtesy at the launch ramp. Observe these simple courtesies to save yourself and others time and energy. Do not block or hold up others on the launch ramp because you are unprepared to launch or retrieve immediately. · Do not load or unload your boat on or at the top of the launch ramp. Prepare to launch your boat in the staging area, not on the actual launch ramp. When pulling out, unload and clean your boat away from the launch ramp, not on or at the top of the launch ramp. · When preparing to pull your boat out, drop your tow-vehicle driver off at the dock and clear away from the launch area. Return to reload when they are backing down the ramp with the trailer.

Courtesy On the Water Proper courtesy on the water is often overlooked. Not only will this help everyone maintain the best and safest water conditions possible, it will help you get along with, and meet other boaters. · Give fishermen space. Beware of sending your boat rollers into their often, smaller boats. · If you are “cruising” or just heading to your favorite spot to fish or hang out, please pay attention to where your boat rollers end up. Believe it or not, slower speeds create bigger rollers. · Tow skiers/riders back and forth in similar patterns. Drive in straight, predictable lines. Predicable boat drivers create a safer experience for everyone on the water. · NEVER do ‘power turns’ when your skier falls. When your skier falls, (assuming there is not an immediate danger to them), slow your boat to an idle and stop. Wait 2-3 seconds for your boat rollers to clear behind you, then make your turn as slowly as possible, and then return to pick up your rider. (A slow turn is most important.) This will eliminate unnecessary rollers sent by you down your skier’s line of travel and in all directions throughout the lake. This practice will also help you to save on fuel, reduce the chance of you taking water over your bow, and will eliminate the ‘return to skier bounce’ over your own rollers as you return to pickup your skier. (And, it gives your skier a few extra seconds to rest.) Believe it or not, one boat can ruin the conditions for everyone else on the entire lake so this is the number one rule for boating courtesy! · NEVER pull a skier up in front of another boat, or cut in front of another boat that is towing a skier. Allow at least 100 yards between boats if you pull up a skier/rider in front of someone along the same line of travel, or wait for them to pass. If they are closer than 100 yards, wait, and let them to pass. (As they will do the same for you, if your skier/rider falls.) · Skiers travel faster than wakeboarders so allow for that when starting your run behind someone. The skier/rider in front of you has the right of way, period. Do not come up alongside or overtake another boat that is towing a skier/rider; this really messes up the water for that skier and your own skier/rider. Pass/overtake only if/when their skier/rider falls, and use the “Delta Wave” to let them know you see their rider and their rope. Following too closely is dangerous, and also provides a turbulent tow for your skier/rider. Allow some distance for a smoother tow. · Use skier hand signals and teach your skier’s to wave that they are “OK” after every fall. · If you see a good (or professional) wakeboarder on the lake, it is permissible to follow them at a safe distance directly behind, or slightly parallel to their boat, to watch them ride (or hang out in the middle to watch), but in doing so, be prepared to stop immediately if they fall so you don’t mess up their water with your own boat rollers. Allow room at each end for them to turn around. · NEVER tow a tube anywhere near other boats towing skier’s or rider’s of any kind. This is dangerous and it messes up the water all the way down the lake, for everyone, in every direction. Only pull a tube in open water spaces, far away from other boats, obstacles, and those towing skiers/riders. When towing a tube, do not pull S, C, or O turns (donuts) in narrow, confined areas.

If you would like a soft copy of this handout, it is available for free download on our website. milehighwakeboarding.com A division of Colorado Adventure Sports

Wow, thats pretty good. How bad would it be to add something about not tubing at all in calm water, or carelessly doing circles? I know it's not nice, but I'm kind of serious. Last night was just too frustrating, almost went back to being an immature idiot and saying what I felt, instead just drove by shaking my head and letting them know they were #1.

edit; Is there an association of some sort trying to better the quality of boating and boating education nation wide? This association could also push for driving certification.

ya people that ride in the delta really need to learn those rules.Alomost every boat i see out thier when someone falls is doing power turns to go get thier rider. The funny thing is people are super aware of other boats and riders so there is really no danger of them being hit bit they think its so cool to hit the throttle.Also I cant believe when idots come tru tubing thier kids in a busy slough full of wakeboarders. It makes no sense.

trapper we werent on the lake after about 12:30 on saturday. if we were im sure we would have stopped, especially if you were waving paddles. last year we had to paddle my boat all the way from the narrows to the boat launch because it wouldnt start, so i know how it feels. wizard during the weekdays is amazing all summer though! also, i never see anyone on the water before 1030, so its good. also, wake1823, theres no way we can snowboard year round, yes our lakes r frozen, but not all year. they usually thaw in april, and freeze in october/novemeber. cold water doesnt bother me, im used to it